This invention generally relates to a method and device for cutting the ends off of rolls of rolled sheet materials, especially paper.
A number of industries make use of large rolls of sheet material, such as paper. When these rolls of sheet material are moved within a warehouse, or moved between warehouses, it occasionally happens that one or both of the ends of the paper roll become damaged. Such damage can result from a variety of different mishaps. When such mishaps occur, it is desirable to still use the original paper roll to as great extent as possible. In this way, the entire roll does not have to be discarded because of one or more damaged ends.
In order to preserve and make use of the damaged roll of sheet material, it is desirable to remove the damaged portions of the roll of sheet material. This is accomplished by cutting the damaged portion, or portions, of the roll off so that the remaining, undamaged portions can be used.
In the past, the methods for removing the damaged ends of rolls of sheet material have been cumbersome and time-consuming. Typically, the damaged rolls could only be salvaged in a warehouse which had large, stationary machinery permanently on hand for dealing with the damaged rolls. Oftentimes, the paper rolls had to be reoriented so that their longitudinal axis pointed vertically before they could be cut by the roll-trimming machines. When the paper roll was oriented vertically, the damaged end was cut off of the top of the paper roll. The cutting, therefore, typically took place at an elevated height in the warehouse. Often an operator of the roll-trimming machine was required to position himself at an elevated height in order to operate the machine. Working at such an elevated height increases the potential dangers to an operator of the equipment. Additionally, the act of reorienting the paper roll to a vertical orientation requires fairly significant time and labor. It is desirable to eliminate or reduce this time and labor.
When rolls of paper, or other sheet material, are cut, there is typically a significant amount of dust and debris which is generated by the cut. When a roll of paper is oriented vertically, the paper dust is typically free to fall completely over the paper roll itself. Because the cutting is performed at a higher vertical height, the paper dust also falls a greater distance and has a tendency to otherwise spread out to a greater degree. The containment of such dust to as small a confined area as possible is desirable. The smaller the area of dust, the easier the subsequent clean-up. The act of cutting an end of a roll of sheet material off of the roll also normally entails a number of safety considerations. The safety considerations deal in great part with the issue of ensuring the safety of an operator while he or she is working in close proximity to a powerful saw blade. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) includes regulations dealing with such situations. These OSHA safety regulations have often, in the past, required special designs for the cutting machine, or special procedures for using the machine. It is desirable to have a paper-cutting machine that meets all safety standards while not requiring expensive or complicated engineering or designs.